Gearing Up to Wind Down

With preschool classes soon winding down for the summer, I'm gearing up for a fun-filled couple of months with Chi-Chi and Muffy. Summer offers a great opportunity for the wee ones to slow down and enjoy a less hectic pace of life. Other than soccer practice a couple of evenings a week, and a family vacation on the beach, our calendar is free and clear. I'll be relying on the boys' own thirst for knowledge and adventure to answer the question, "What shall we do today?".

I'm guessing we won't have to go far to keep these two occupied. Their genuine curiosity and enthusiasm, which seems to be innate in children, never ceases to amaze me. The amount of time my little Muffy spends each day gathering, admiring, studying and entertaining bugs is astounding. This self-proclaimed little scientist is simply fascinated with anything creepy crawly and rejoices whith each new discovery. I'd like to say I share his passion for these crawlies, but to be honest, some of them give me the creepies! There's nothing like settling into my bowl of breakfast granola, when suddenly a June bug is dropped on my lap. Eeek! "Oh Mommy, aren't the June bug's legs beautiful?". Hmmm, the word beautiful is probably a stretch for me on this one! I guess this is an opportunity for me to take a second look at the bug buddies on our doorstep, and perhaps admire them through the eyes of my Muffy. I notice that my children tend to blossom most when they discover and delve into the passions and interests they discover freely on their own. I suppose this is true for all of us, but children seem to demonstrate it so clearly. My child might have difficulty settling and focusing in one setting, but when immersed in an area of genuine interest, his attention span can last for what seems like an eternity. So, I'm hoping that as long as I give them free rein to explore and discover, my boys will do a fine job of setting the agenda for summer fun.

That's not to say I don't have a few ideas under my hat. Of course, I can't resist setting the scene to inspire and promote a little creative action. The latest "prop" arrived on the scene last weekend! While working up a sweat on my morning run last Sunday, I spotted a nifty little boat on the side of the road with a "Free, take me!!" sign posted on it. The sweet little boat was participating in the curbside giveaway held in our community last weekend. It was my lucky day. I cut my run short, sprinted home and made a breathless request for assistance from a friend with a truck. I've been dreaming of a backyard boat for some time and had been waiting for the opportunity to strike. Though not technically sea worthy, our new rig has already seen some action on the high seas and I'm anticipating tons of exciting and imaginative play evolving this summer. As time passes, and the boys outgrow this backyard "toy", I'll have myself one very funky planter to expand the veggie garden!

Until then, "All aboard" for some super summer fun!

The Stockings Were Hung...

Yes, it is most definitely too early to be hanging one's stocking! That being said, I hung a whopping twenty four of them this morning. I've been eagerly awaiting December 1st which marks the beginning of Advent. For the past month and a half I've been chipping away at an Advent calendar for our family. This is not something we had in my home growing up, but I am anticipating it will be a fun and warm tradition in the years to come.

Anyone who knows Chi-Chi and Muffy personally might be chuckling a little. Hubby actually laughed out loud when he saw I had hung it within reach of the wee ones. My own dear mother also had a good laugh at the thought of my two little co-conspirators patiently waiting to discover each treasure day by day. I'm hoping they will be able to restrain themselves and demonstrate respect for our special calendar. I'm also fully aware that the temptation might just be too much for my 3 and 4 year old monkeys to bear. As a result, I will stuff the pockets one day at a time. We are getting things rolling with a set of new toothbrushes, a rather appropriate item for the treats this month will bring!

The idea for this project came from various sources including Martha Stewart and Uncommon Grace. It didn't take me long to gather the supplies as most of them were on hand. The stockings were cut from recycled wool cloth compliments of my rug hooking stash and a great old thrifted wool blanket. Embellishments included everything from vintage buttons to ribbon scraps to wool felt. The most intimidating aspect of the project was the embroidery work it entailed. A quick demo from my mom and a book loaned from a friend got me started. Since this was my first attempt at embroidery, it is far from perfect. Even Chi-Chi got in on the creative action. His sweet little hands sewed together two of the stockings in a lovely whip stitch. Those two stockings are by far my favorite and the most meaningful. I think it is wonderful that he left his personal mark on this special family tradition.

I've been both gathering and creating little treasures to include in the pockets each day. I've made an effort to include some "non material" items such as coupons for "Family Cookie Baking Day" and "Nighttime Ride to See Christmas Lights". I don't want it to focus too heavily on "getting something". There will definitely be the odd chocolate or candy cane in there as well as some handmade trinkets and ornaments. I'm a little short of twenty four so any good ideas would be welcome!

The little monkeys will be home in less than an hour. Any bets on how long it stays hung? (:

The Sound of Music

I’m slowly making my way through my current favorite book on the nightstand, The Creative Family by Amanda Soule. I have a natural tendency to burn through a book at lightning speed. Once I’m immersed in the pages of a great read, I find it nearly impossible to tear myself away. I decided to approach things a little differently this time around. I’ve slowed down my pace and am reading this book in tidbits as I take the time to absorb, ponder and simply enjoy the words. She has such a amicable and pleasant writing style! I’m taking little notes as I think of ways to incorporate some of the projects, ideas and concepts into our family life. The truth is, I will be sad to read the last page. I look forward to this little treat to savor at the end of each day.

I do admit to jumping ahead to a later chapter to check out some of the photos. One idea in particular caught my attention. There was no absorbing or pondering required. I simply HAD to make a banging wall! I knew Chi-Chi and Muffy would love it! Though I have nothing against those popular preschool music classes, my own children were less than enthusiastic about them. (Personally I thought they were lovely) Our new banging wall is a fun way to incorporate a little music and rhythm into their lives. It’s also a great outlet for all members of the family to release built up stress and frustration! Luckily, we don’t have any neighbors close by who might complain (:

This may sound odd, but most of the materials were sourced from our nearby forest. When we purchased our property, it was home to about forty junker cars and other objects from the past. Although we did a heavy duty clean up effort before breaking ground, a few relics still remain in a couple of obscure and hard to reach corners of our land. I took an hour or so to poke around and retrieved a couple of old hubcaps, a cooking pan and a Pepsi crate! How exciting to find a use for this old junk!

As one might expect, the outdoor percussion set has been a huge “hit” with the boys. I’m looking forward to the upcoming alfresco concert series this summer! Yes my friends, our hill is alive with the sound of music!

Picking up the Pieces

I had every intention of taking Chi-Chi and Muffy to the local pre-school free skate this morning. Marking this on my agenda definitely involves mustering up a lot of energy on my part. It is no small feat for one sleep-deprived mama. Getting all three of us to the rink, laced up and one the ice almost compares to embarking on an arctic expedition in my mind... Unfortunately, my ambitious plans where shattered by icy road conditions this morning.

I found myself in desperate need of something pretty exciting to distract from the disappointment of our skating cancellation. When looking for an activity to catch the little ones' attention, I usually pull out the craft supplies, which are always stored handy in a kitchen cupboard. It was Mommy who found inspiration in the art cupboard this morning as I shook the tin of crayon fragments. I'm always frustrated to discover a brand new box of wax crayons diminished to a mere heap of broken bits in no time. Last year on Earth Day, Chi-Chi came home from art class with his own set of recycled crayons. The children made these recycled crayons by melting old crayons and creating "new" crayons. Finding creative uses for old wax crayons was always a favorite activity of mine as a child as well. It was sure to be a colorful hit on this dreary day!

Chi-Chi and Muffy filled up our mini muffin tin with their crayon fragments and we popped them in the oven at 350 degrees until they were fully melted. Because I used a silicon pan, the crayons were super easy to remove once cool.

Of course, I used this as an opportunity to throw in some discussion on recycling. The kids love their new "rainbow crayons" and Mommy feels a sense of satisfaction in doing something productive and educational with those crazy crayon bits!

Just Say No To Junk Mail

Today was recycling day in our community. As the boys and I emptied our blue box this morning, I was struck by the amount of junk mail heading to the curb. Recycling is great, but I realize it should be my last resort. Reducing our household waste, whether it is garbage or recycling, should be at the top of my list.

I’ll admit, I’ve been rather lazy in dealing with the junk mail dilemma. Our mail is delivered to a large Canada Post community mailbox and I wasn’t quite sure how to communicate my desire to pass on the junk mail. I decided to perform a “Junk Mail Audit” to assess the situation. Yes, in my former life I was an accountant and auditor so this seems to be my method for tackling a problem! Once an accounting geek, always an accounting geek.

There are three classifications of junk mail coming into our home:

• Unaddressed items in our mailbox. These do not have our names on them.
• Addressed advertising in our mailbox. These items have our names and addresses listed.
• Flyers and community newspapers dumped at the end of our driveway.

My web search on the matter lead me www.reddotcampaign.ca. If you live in Canada, please take the time to review this site. It gives you all the information you need to take action to stop the flow of junk mail into your life. Visit the frequently asked questions section which explains the specific steps you need to take.

I decided to participate in the Red Dot Campaign and purchased a sticker to post in my mailbox. Just a note to anyone with a community or post office mailbox, you need to post your sign on the inside lip of your box and not on the inside our outside of the door. I’m also going to register with the Canadian Marketing Association's Do Not Contact registry. My personal “Junk Mail Audit” produced a list of catalogues I no longer wish to receive that may not be covered under the Canadian Marketing Association since they are US Companies. I’ve started contacting these companies directly to remove me from their mailing lists.

My biggest dilemma is the weekly dumping of flyers at the end of my driveway. In my view, this represents outright littering. Our strong coastal winds quickly send these flyers straight to the ditch. They are a pet peeve our mine!! I need to do a bit more digging on how to deal with this one. My short-term plan is to post a large visible sign at the end of my driveway. Somehow, I’m not convinced this will do the trick!

A quick look around my home reveals that my auditing work has just begun. I’ll be taking inventory of our garbage and compost over coming weeks. This could get messy!

An Antique Lover's Sandbox

For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to the past. I am a lover of old homes, antiques and the simpler methods and lifestyles of the “good old days”. An object with a lengthy and colorful past emanates a warmth, charm and patina that simply cannot be duplicated or reproduced. Not surprisingly, my husband and I have been avid antique collectors for several years. Although we built a new home four years ago, we incorporated a number of reclaimed and antique materials into the construction. We were extremely fortunate to stumble upon a set of hand-hewn beams being salvaged from a crumbling barn in the Annapolis Valley. We integrated these beams into our downstairs living space, creating the illusion of an authentic post and beam frame. The leftover and unused beams were tossed in the backyard for unknown future projects.

This past spring, I decided it would be worthwhile to install a sandbox in our backyard. Chi-Chi adores working with sand. I knew a sandbox would provide endless hours of entertainment for both of my little ones. Although we live just a hop, skip and a jump from the beach, it is not always practical to make the trek to the shore with two small children. I printed a few sandbox plans off the internet and presented them to my husband one Saturday morning. He was assigned his “weekend project” and instructed to march off to the local hardware store to purchase the required supplies. Being a resourceful and creative man, he suggested we incorporate the remaining barn beams into the construction of the sandbox. What an ingenious idea! Not only did we save on material costs, we also “recycled” our beams. We were thrilled with the end results. The completed sandbox is simply beautiful and possesses a warmth and character like no other! The box is 6’X6’, which provides ample space for two to three children to play creatively and independently. The wide beams provide the perfect place for a tired mother to rest her laurels!

Chi-Chi and Muffy spend over an hour each day digging and exploring in the sandbox. Along with the traditional buckets and shovels, the sandbox houses treasures from our trips to the seashore. Both Chi-Chi and Muffy delight in discovering a scallop or moon snail shell while working away on their excavation projects. I too enjoy the sandbox and have discovered its therapeutic qualities. I often find myself getting lost in the relaxed, open-ended play opportunities that it presents. I enjoy assisting Chi-Chi with his elaborate road and trail systems and giggling at the grimace on Muffy’s face following a gritty bite of sand pie. Our sandbox is a soothing and peaceful spot for children and adults to pass the afternoon!

Once again, I am impressed with the play value offered by an open-ended, natural toy. The sandbox is truly a timeless toy that has stood the test of time. No doubt, we can all recall this much-loved favorite from our childhoods. This is a classic from our past that should be enjoyed by all and not reserved for the nostalgics!

Hats Off to Cast-Offs

As I sip lemonade on my sun-drenched deck, basking in one of the few remaining days of summer, bizarre visions of snow squalls and sub-zero temperatures drift through my wandering mind. This may sound rather peculiar, considering the thermometer reads 20 degrees and I’m sporting a tank top and sandals. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Chi-Chi and Muffy are parading through the house in attire suitable for an Arctic expedition. Just moments earlier, a scavenger hunt in the hall closet lead to the exciting discovery of treasures from a recent trip to the local thrift shop. Muffy is proudly toddling along in a cuddly, cozy red LL Bean bunting suit with the $2.99 price tag still attached. Chi-Chi is decked out in a smart navy blue Land’s End snow suit and matching Stride Rite winter boots. His complete outfit set me back a mere $24, which is a far cry from the $200 retail price (including shipping, duty and taxes). The true accountant in me surfaces as my lips form a wide, satisfied grin. I feel a deep sense of pride as I tally the savings in my head.

As the “baby” of the family, I grew up cringing at the mere mention of the word hand-me-down. I had little need or desire for my sister’s outgrown and unwanted leftovers. I hastily snubbed any previously owned article of clothing that snuck into my closet. Needless to say, the tables have now turned, and as a parent, I pounce on any opportunity to clothe Chi-Chi and Muffy in second-hand threads. No doubt, others may find it premature to be shopping for a winter wardrobe as we cling to the fading summer. Experience has taught me that this is a prime time of year for rummaging through second-hand shops and scanning eBay listings for super deals on cold weather apparel. Ninety percent of Chi-Chi and Muffy’s closet is comprised of gently-used attire. I frequent the thrift shops regularly, keeping my eyes pealed for a bargain. I’m rarely disappointed and my efforts are often rewarded with fabulous finds of high quality clothing in pristine condition.

Not only are hand-me-downs easy on the pocketbook, they are also friendly on the environment. Reusing and recycling second-hand items is a great way for families to reduce their ecological footprint and practice the “Three R’s” in day-to-day life.

In setting a positive example, my hope is that Chi-Chi and Muffy will inherit an appreciation for hand-me-downs and the benefits they offer. My dear mother is likely chuckling to herself as she reads these lines. My days of giving cast-offs the cold shoulder are long gone!